It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since going to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. KLM was offering a great deal on flights from DC to Dublin, tickets were only around $300 roundtrip, so we jumped right on it.

Before going on our trip people tried to convince us that Irish people don’t celebrate St. Paddy’s Day like we do in the US. Lies. While it originally wasn’t a big drinking holiday, over the last few decades it’s grown and people from around the world gather there in their finest green, white, and orange to imbibe with the best of them. Also important to remember, it’s St. Paddy’s Day not St. Patty’s Day, I learned this years ago but many in the US haven’t caught on.

Visiting Ireland had been on my list for years ever since seeing a special on their famous castles, namely Ashford and Dromoland. Unfortunately, because our time was limited, we decided to focus on Dublin, with a day trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. I love how cheap flights are once you get to Europe. Our roundtrip flight on Ryanair from Dublin to Edinburgh was under 30 € and it was just over an hour each way. Continue reading “The Luck of the Irish: St. Paddy’s Day in Dublin”→

There are a number of mommy bloggers and Instagrammers who make traveling with babies and children look so easy. They are truly my inspiration and serve as a constant reminder that having a baby shouldn’t put an end to exploring the world.

As soon as I had baby’s birth certificate in hand, I submitted his US Passport application and it arrived less than 3 weeks later, via routine delivery. Literally the day it arrived, I completed the online Global Entry application and scheduled the interview for less than a week later. In case you’re wondering, yes babies still have to complete the “interview process” and take a photo for the Global Entry card even when they’re asleep. LOL. Continue reading “Who Says You Can’t Travel With a Baby?”→

I know it’s been a while, but hey life and babies happen. In November, my husband and I welcomed a bouncing baby boy. He’s now 12 weeks old and has been keeping me very busy.

It has always amazed me how much people I know seem to change once they have children. They go from being very sociable to practically becoming hermits. They barely leave the house, so what reason would they have to travel out-of-state or across the world, but to each its own.

Travel is a part of who I am so I knew having a baby wouldn’t stop that. In fact, last year while pregnant I traveled to Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Chile, Panama, and Greece along with some domestic travel. Continue reading “2017 Was a Blur, But I’m Back!”→

People always ask me how can I afford to travel so much or to take the trips that I take. To be completely honest, I make travel a priority. I’m Type A when it comes to most things but when it comes to booking travel I’m pretty spontaneous.

While my travel bucket list currently has 25+ countries on it plus several destinations in the U.S., my travel is usually dictated by airline glitches or unheard of low fares. Of course, it’s important that the dates work for my schedule. Sometimes travel deals appear and I just can’t pass them up. I guess I’m an impulsive shopper sometimes when it comes to travel. Continue reading “Making Travel A Priority”→

Over the past few days, everyone, I mean everyone, has been talking about the dreadful experience one passenger had while seated on a United Airlines flight leaving out of Chicago O’Hare. By now, everyone has seen the horrifying video and disturbing photos. I’m sure Pepsi and Kendall Jenner are happy this incident took the spotlight off of them.

Over the past ten years, I can literally count on my fingers the number of times I’ve checked a bag. It all started in 2005 when I went to Spain with my parents after Business School.

I packed a carry-on with an outfit and some toiletries for the flight and checked a large suitcase for our 2 week trip full of my cutest outfits with all the shoes and accessories to match. We arrived at baggage claim with our group and I waited and waited, no bag. Continue reading “My Secret to Packing Light”→

It seems like more and more this is the question I’m asked. I’ve always traveled with my family growing up but the last few years I’ve caught the travel bug and can’t seem to shake it.

People often ask me how do I decide on where to go. I have a list of 25 or so countries plus cities in the U.S. that are on my must travel list but let’s be honest I go where the deals are. In mid-2016, I bought a deal to go to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day but as of then I didn’t have anything else planned for this year. It’s rare that I purposely book anything that far in advance, it’s usually what ever deal comes up that works with my travel dates and budget. Continue reading “Where are you off to next?”→

Clearly we survived the road trip, since I’m still here to write about it. After a long day we met up with a herder to take a camel ride to our campsite for the night. Since it was approaching sunset, we were able to get some amazing shots as the sun went down and enjoyed the solitude of just the three of us and our camels. Side note, after riding a camel in Egypt I said I wouldn’t do it again. It’s definitely an experience but two times was definitely enough.

The campsite, although not glamping by any means, was way better than I anticipated. We had tents the size of a small bedroom with electricity and outlets. The bathrooms were actual bathrooms, not latrines. I was a Girl Scout so I was prepared to rough it if need be.

The dining room was a beautiful tent that reminded me of being in an actual Moroccan restaurant with all of the brightly colored fabrics and Berber carpets lining the walls and floors. Best part, the meal was tasty. We ended the night being entertained by the guys who worked the campsite, 2 tour guides, and the camel herder who all sang and played random instruments. Continue reading “Arabian Nights…in Morocco (Pt 2)”→